Where is Binta Niambi Brown now?

Unlike many kids, Binta Brown didn't dream of becoming a ballerina or an astronaut. At 10, she wanted to be a lawyer. During a fourth-grade field trip, the native of Arlington, Va., recalls, a congressman told her class that when he was their age, he knew he'd be a politician.

"So I figured I should decide," she said. "Growing up in the shadow—really, the sunshine—of the civil rights movement, I realized the law was what allowed my family to live the life that we did."

Ms. Brown figured that the next opportunity to make a difference in the world would be in business. As a new law firm associate attending political benefits, she couldn't help but notice she was one of only a few young women of color in attendance. That needed to change, she decided, and she herself became a fundraiser for political causes, arts organizations and her alma mater, Barnard College.

Soon she was one of the top young black fundraisers in the country. She was a key "bundler" for Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign and advised the campaign on national security issues. Ms. Brown was elected a trustee of Barnard at 34, making her one of the youngest in the school's history. By day, she was a corporate lawyer doing transactional work.

"Binta never goes into anything halfway," said Ann Fudge, former chief executive of Young & Rubicam, whom Ms. Brown enlisted as a mentor. "She has this inner toughness that's always questioning and challenging. She had a lot to offer me, too."

<em>CORRECTION: Binta Niami Brown is the youngest trustee on the current Barnard College board and one of the youngest in the school's history. This was misstated in an earlier version of this profile.</em>